Removing obstacles related to land acquisition for the expansion of Provincial Road 334.

Báo Quảng Ninh•25/05/2023

According to the plan, by the end of June 2023, the Provincial Road 334 expansion project will have completed construction on approximately 40% of the land area already handed over for the entire route. For the remaining area, the investor and contractors will continue to wait for the local authorities to hand over the land before commencing construction.

Two bridges on the route have been basically completed.

The project to expand Provincial Road 334 starts at the main arterial road of the Cai Rong urban area and ends at the intersection with the Van Don Airport - Complex Park road. Upon completion, it will create a continuous transportation axis throughout the Van Don Economic Zone, connecting functional zones, the tourist port, the general cargo port, urban areas, tourist attractions, and the provincial expressway from Bach Dang Bridge to Mong Cai International Border Gate. The project contributes to maximizing land use on both sides of the route, increasing the attractiveness of the area for investors.

The project has a total length of 9.5km, with a roadbed width of 24-44m, designed for 6 lanes (4 lanes for motorized vehicles and 2 service lanes), a central median, landscaping, lighting, and traffic safety infrastructure. Two reinforced concrete bridges are included along the route, with Bridge No. 1 being 90m long and Bridge No. 2 being 333.8m long. The project is managed by the Provincial Project Management Board for Investment and Construction of Transportation Projects, with a total capital of nearly 1,500 billion VND from the provincial budget.

However, the project's progress is currently very slow, mainly due to difficulties in land clearance. Specifically, to implement the project, Van Don district must acquire more than 40 hectares of land, including land for roads and land belonging to over 400 households and organizations located within the project's boundary. However, after two years of implementation, contractors have only begun construction on approximately 40% of the land handed over by the local authorities; the remaining areas have yet to be handed over.

Some utility poles in the middle of the road have yet to be moved, causing interruptions to the project's construction work.

Specifically, for the 40% of land already handed over, the investor and contractors have completed the construction of two bridges along the route. Regarding road construction, the drainage system, street lighting, prestressed concrete revetments, reinforced concrete revetments, and crushed stone base have been completed, and asphalt paving is currently underway. The project is now entering the final stage of landscaping and sidewalk completion.

According to the project contractor's representative, with the current progress, the project items for which Van Don district has handed over the land will be completed in June 2023. The contractor will consolidate the construction site, prepare materials, cast components and culverts to be ready to organize construction as soon as the remaining land is handed over. The contractor also requested that, along with accelerating the land clearance process for the remaining locations, the local authorities should also promptly direct the resolution of some power poles located in the middle of the road to ensure the project progresses according to schedule.

As it is the main arterial road running through the Van Don Economic Zone, the slow implementation of the project to expand Provincial Road 334 not only impacts the lives and transportation of people in the area, but also significantly affects investment attraction plans and directly impacts investors who are implementing projects along the route.

It is expected that by June 2022, the contractor will have completed construction on approximately 40% of the total area of the route that has been handed over.

A representative from CEO Group, the investor of the Sonasea Van Don Harbor City resort complex project, stated: In partnership with the province in developing high-class tourism products, the company plans to launch the Wyndham Garden Sonasea Van Don hotel, with 200 five-star rooms, in the fourth quarter of 2023. Simultaneously, they will develop other attractive tourism and resort services. However, the slow progress of the road construction is affecting the completion of infrastructure connections and hindering the promotion and attraction of tourists. In particular, the completion of electricity, water, and telecommunications infrastructure for the project cannot be implemented due to the need for underground installation along with the road. This is significantly impacting the company's business plans and strategies.

For the Van Don Economic Zone, Provincial Road 334 is considered a crucial backbone for promoting and linking functional zones, tourism and resort services, goods, and scenic tourist areas. It also serves as a driving force for the locality to attract investment and implement development plans. Therefore, at this stage, with the available construction land exhausted, relevant units and localities need to be more urgent and proactive in resolving land-related difficulties so that the project can continue to be implemented and completed.

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